Flowers are blooming everywhere—and our dogs might be trying to snack on them. The concern? Some of the most beautiful blooms are hazardous to dogs. In fact, many pet parents don’t realize that these ten popular flowers are toxic for dogs. Read on for pictures, details, and symptoms to watch for.
A word to the wise: it’s a great idea to keep a pet first aid kit (or two) around. And if your dog ate a flower you believe may be poisonous, or is showing symptoms of distress, call your vet or animal poison control immediately.
After reading, check out these dog-safe plants that work well in most any garden.
Amaryllis
Source: Flickr
She’s a beaut, but the Naked Lady, as she’s sometimes known, will cause vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, tremors and a nonexistent appetite if eaten.
Azalea
Source: Flickr
Your dog ate an azalea flower? It only takes a few leaves to lead to side effects as serious as blindness, seizures, comas, or even death.
If you catch your dog eating azalea, or presenting food poisoning–like symptoms (vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, etc.) seek veterinary care immediately.
Baby’s Breath
Source: Flickr
Baby’s Breath is a lovely way to round out a bouquet, and, unfortunately, a quick way to make your dog’s intestinal tract hate him.
On the “poisonous flowers for dogs” scale, it’s low, but you’ll want to monitor your pup closely if he did get a mouthful. Give him one teaspoon per 10 pounds of body weight of hydrogen peroxide to encourage vomiting.
Begonia
Source: Flickr
Your dog ate a begonia? It’s not a serious problem unless he ate a lot of it. It’s toxic, but mildly so, and symptoms are often only as severe as some drooling, difficulty swallowing, and vomiting.
Carnation
Source: Flickr
Let’s say you got a bundle of carnations for your birthday. And your dog promptly ate them for dinner. The bad news? Your carnations will probably, uh, reincarnate as vomit or diarrhea.
The good news? It’d take a bundle of bundles to do any severe damage.
Cyclamen
Source: Flickr
The cyclamen’s white, pink, red, and purple petals make for a stunning showing, but ingesting a large number of cyclamen tubers will result in heart issues, seizures, and possibly death for dogs.
Daffodil
Source: Flickr
They’re everywhere, bright and yellow and perfect—and poisonous. Eating one will lead to symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, low blood pressure, tremors, and heart problems for dogs.
Lilies
Source: Flickr
No matter the variety (and there are lots of ’em), lilies aren’t good for your dog. They aren’t deadly but can cause gastrointestinal issues, depression, anorexia, and tremors in dogs.
Oleander
Source: Flickr
The pale pink petals sure look pretty, but in the world of toxic flowers for dogs, oleander is near the top.
Virtually all parts of the flower are considered toxic—even the water in a vase—and signs of poisoning range from gastrointestinal issues to more serious symptoms including tremors, seizures and, unfortunately, death.
Tulips
Source: Flickr
So your dog dug up those tulip bulbs you just planted in the garden and brilliantly decided to swallow them. One might lead to some irritation in the mouth, including drooling and difficulty swallowing.
More than that could see vomiting, diarrhea, an increased heart rate, and even issues breathing.
For a full list of plants and flowers that are poisonous to dogs, consult the ASPCA’s guide here.
Resources
ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center
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